Mr. Edetaen Ojo, the Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda (MRA), has been elected Co-Chair of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Nigeria National Steering Committee and serves alongside the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN).
Mr. Ojo was elected by representatives of civil society organisations at the National OGP Retreat held in Kaduna to serve as civil society Co-Chair on the Steering Committee and his name was subsequently submitted to the OGP national secretariat currently hosted by the Federal Ministry of Justice. Mr. Malami, who is leading Nigeria’s engagement with the OGP, serves as Government Co-Chair.
The National Steering Committee is made up of representatives of government ministries, departments and agencies as well as civil society organisations, professional associations and the organised private sector.
Mr. Malami had announced at the opening of the Retreat on October 24, 2016 the approval of the OGP National Steering Committee members by President Muhammadu Buhari, with the Federal Ministry of Justice as the coordinating institution.
The Steering Committee met with other government and civil society representatives in Kaduna to co-create a two-year National Action Plan to, among other things, mainstream transparency mechanisms in the management of public funds across all sectors and enhance citizen engagement with government.
The Open Government Partnership is a multi-stakeholder initiative focused on improving transparency and accountability in governance, citizen participation and responsiveness to citizens through technology and innovation.
The OGP was launched at the United Nations in New York in September 2011 by eight founding governments, namely those of Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, the Philippines, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Nigeria formally joined the OGP in July this year as its 70th member country.
